Google Leading the Mobile Search Race

I comes as no surprise that in the first quarter of this year Google have outstripped all their rivals in the field of Mobile search. From the Nielsen data, Google took 61% share of mobile search, leaving Yahoo and MSN with 18% & 5% respectively. These stats for the US markets oddly, almost mirrors the traffic splits for US web searches with the notable exception of Yahoo slipping further behind.

The stats came along side some interesting research of mobile commerce and acceptance among the mobile phone users in the US. These stats show some real promise for the uptake of e-commerce on mobile devices. In the first quarter alone over 9 million Americans used their mobile phone to make a purchase.

These stats highlight the potential for mobile search as the next big market for search marketing and that the three media giants are still going to be the main players. Google hope their mobile software, Android will help them etch the Google brand over the mobile search market. While Yahoo is concentrating on partnerships with mobile service providers.

Microsoft is taking a different tact by producing more viable hardware devices. The Google android platform is designed to go head to head with the Microsoft Windows Mobile software, but until Android is really taken on board by more hand set manufacturers, it will be difficult to assess how competitive this will be and of what effect it has on the mobile search markets. All signs point to Microsoft not doing enough to prove themselves as a viable alternative to Google or even Yahoo.